How to Build the Ultimate Chicken Coop - How to Order the Plans

How to Build the Ultimate Chicken Coop - How to Order the Plans

"If my husband had his way, we'd live on a farm," says Heather Bullard, whose career as a photo stylist instead requires close proximity to Los Angeles. So she and her agriculture-obsessed spouse, Jim, compromised by constructing a chicken coop.

Since the Bullards' Riverside, California, backyard barely covers a quarter acre, looks mattered as much as function. Together, the two designed a Cape Cod–inspired structure that's prettier than many human dwellings—and built it themselves for $1,600, using stock building materials and hardware from Home Depot.

"Every morning, I open the doors so the hens can roam in the yard," says Heather of the ground-level nook just off the pen. This foyer also doubles as the ladies' dining room, with a galvanized waterer and feeder.

"No one wants to look at chicken poop," Heather points out, "so we planted boxwoods out front to hide the coop floor." The couple also surrounded the structure with an attractive brick walkway, which they can simply hose off as needed.